Short answers, pulled from the story.
Middle-earth Enterprises was founded in 1977 under the name Tolkien Enterprises. The Saul Zaentz Company formed the entity after acquiring the rights to The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings from United Artists.
Embracer Group purchased Middle-earth Enterprises in 2022. The company now operates as a subsidiary within the Embracer Freemode division of the Embracer Group.
Middle-earth Enterprises produced an animated version of The Hobbit in 1977 and an animated version of The Lord of the Rings in 1978. Ralph Bakshi directed the latter film which covered approximately the first half of the epic trilogy.
Middle-earth Enterprises sued New Line Cinema in August 2004 for $20 million in unpaid royalties. The parties reached an out-of-court settlement in August 2005 without releasing the specific terms of the agreement.
In March 2012, Middle-earth Enterprises sent documents to The Hobbit pub in Southampton alleging copyright infringement of its name. The pub continued to operate under that name as of October 2020 despite the legal challenge.